


Rose Stole

by DramaYeoja



Category: (여자)아이들 | (G)I-DLE, SF9 (Band)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:13:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27070270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DramaYeoja/pseuds/DramaYeoja
Summary: “You’re not leaving until you’re punished for your crime.”In this fantasy drama, Minnie finds herself in a struggle between her love of poisons for evil purposes and a vampire who believes in justice.___________________Cast:Yoo TaeyangMinnie ( (G)I-dle )Kang ChaniLee JaeyoonKim InseongBaek ZuhoLee Dong Wook___________________Inspiration and Extra Info:I came up with the idea for this story when I thought of how mixing elements of "Beauty and the Beast" with "The Phantom of the Opera" would be written.When I watched (G)I-dle's "Lion" MV, I saw the scene of Minnie with the dramatic lighting and thought that it would be really interesting if she was in a story with Taeyang.I've also done research for certain things in the story as to be accurate and to have some more interesting details.Lee Dong Wook was thought of right before I started writing. I won't give hints as to who he is as it will be revealed in the story.
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

“Ah,” a girl accidentally pricked her finger on a thorn bush. A small bead of blood emerged from the wound. Without hesitation, the girl put her finger in her mouth to stop the bleeding. She was about to continue collecting the items she wanted when her wrist was caught by someone. The sudden action caused her to remove her finger from her mouth.

“What are you doing? That’s disgusting,” a male voice droned. She turned to the person who was holding her hand and now bandaging her finger. “Chani, it’s fine,” she rolled her eyes at her younger brother. He was seriously overprotective for no reason. They hadn’t gone through any traumatic experiences in their lives. So, his behavior was still a mystery to her.

With much attention to fixing her injury, Chani tied off the little bandage he had put on her injured finger. He looked up at her, “Minnie, I feel like you’re going to really get into trouble one day, and I won’t be there to save you. You’re too careless especially when you’re playing with poison all the time.” “It’s my business. Quit pestering me about it,” she tsked at him. Before she continued on the path, she turned around, holding up her finger, “Thank you, my angel.” Chani was about to run after her when she stuck out her tongue and ran off. He really hated when she called him that.

…

A few hours later, Minnie had all that she needed to experiment with making her poisons. She was the best alchemist in the town, in fact, she was the ONLY alchemist in town. The townspeople were too fearful of poisons that they didn’t even care to learn about them in case they were poisoned accidentally. The only other person who Minnie could talk to about her experiments was Jaeyoon who was an herbalist who lived in the forest. Jaeyoon lived a distance away so Minnie didn’t go to his place often. He had told her about some good places to look for poisonous plants when she did visit though.

On her way to her workshop, Minnie realised that there was another ingredient that she needed. She had thought up an idea of selling a perfume poison on the black market to the highest bidder. The perfume would be a great way to quickly and easily assassinate someone. Minnie knew that people would think she was a lunatic for wanting to make such a deadly tool, but she was obsessed with her strange hobby.

Turning around, Minnie started down a path which was unfamiliar to her. There didn’t appear to be wagon tracks or hoof prints in the dirt of the path either. Strangely, Minnie felt like she would find the scent for her potion if she followed this way to an unknown place. It was only a couple hours past noon so she thought that she could be back before nightfall without her family worrying too much.

Her feet started to feel strained from walking for so long. Minnie set down her bag of poisonous ingredients and took off her shoes one by one as she pounded on her feet to relieve them. When she stood back up, she realized that she was standing next to a stone wall which was covered in greenery. Tall, sharp iron spikes decorated the top of the wall for as much of it as she could see.

Curious as to if this wall contained a garden within it, Minnie raced to where she believed the entrance to be. Upon reaching a gate, she found that she was correct. She tried the gate and was slightly surprised to find it was unlocked.

There appeared to be lively shrubs and trees growing at the front of the garden. This was definitely a stark contrast to the dying foliage she had witnessed on the way there and outside the wall. Looking around for something she could use, Minnie finally noticed a pop of red. She hoped that she would find a flower and was joyful when many vibrant rose bushes were present before her eyes. The roses were deep red and soft to the touch when she began pulling the petals off one by one.

She placed a good deal of roses into her velveteen ingredient bag before she sensed someone was watching her. As she turned around to look, her arm was firmly grasped, and she came face to face with a man who had sharp eyes and dark hair.

She didn’t know what to say as she began stuttering, “I- um- I didn’t kno-” He cut her off, “You destroyed them.” His tone was flat and accusing. She knew she should have made sure that the roses belonged to someone, but she just didn’t really care. However, she did want him to release her arm. She tried to pull back, but his grip was stable.

Upset at his strength, Minnie retorted, “Will you let me go now? I’m busy.” He scoffed in disbelief at her curt remark and leaned forward more. “Listen well,” he began, “You’re not leaving until you’re punished for your crime.”

_****.**.**.**.**** _

_**How was it? I've been wanting to write this story for a while**_. 🙃

**Songs I listen to for story vibe inspiration:**  
Rose’s (YOO TAEYANG and ZUHO) *Soundcloud  
Stole (YOO TAEYANG and ZUHO) *Soundcloud  
Fear (SEVENTEEN) *listened to it after starting the story*  
Mystery Lover (TAEMIN)  
UH-OH ((G)I-dle)  
Married to the Music (SHINee)  
Monster (EXO)  
Obsession (EXO)  
EXODUS (EXO)  
UN Village (BAEKHYUN)  
Fantasy (VIXX)  
Shadow (TAEMIN)  
I’m in Trouble (NU’EST)  
Criminal (TAEMIN)

**Research info about Poisons and Perfumes:**  
https://perfumesociety.org/the-poison-the-remedy-welcome-to-the-darker-side-of-scent/


	2. Chapter 2

"Where could she be at this hour?" Chani mumbled to himself. He was starting to get anxious, and their parents hadn't even started wondering where Minnie was yet.

Once he had waited an hour more, Chani was wringing his hands together impatiently. Grabbing his coat, he informed his parents, "I'm going to go look for Minnie. It's too late for her to not be home yet." Their mother looked up from her knitting, "Alright. Be safe, Dear. I'm sure she's fine. She's probably just making something in her workshop again."

"I hope you're right," Chani said although he had a feeling that he wouldn't find her there. With that said, he emerged through the door and into the chilly night air of autumn.

The first place he checked was the tiny wooden workshop which sat next to their well and was located not far from their house. There was no lamp light emitting from the shop window, but Chani checked inside anyway. He wasn’t surprised to find it empty. Rolling his eyes, he sighed, “It’s going to be a long night.”

…

Minnie was furious after waking up in a dark place and tripping over a barrel. The area she was in seemed to be a cellar and had no windows. She found a strange door but was unable to open it as it seemed to be sealed shut. Slapping the door thrice, she slid down to the floor.

Her eyes were adjusting to the darkness, but she didn’t see any other ways out of the room she was in. She angrily scratched the cold stone foundation as she wracked her brain for a plan of escape. She couldn't think when she was upset, so she tried to calm down by taking slow breaths. However, when she remembered how that man had just accused her of destroying the roses without asking who she was or revealing who he was, all of her negative emotions came flooding back.

Frowning from the headache she was developing, she rubbed at her brow to soothe it. Now that she thought about it, she didn't remember how exactly she had been brought to this cellar in the first place. When she was talking to the discourteous man, she had suddenly blacked out as far as she could recall. Had he brought her here to pay for her “crime” as he called it? She wasn't even sure how she was supposed to get out of this situation or compensate the man for the roses. She wondered if he really even owned the roses.

…

“Taeyang, you know...” a red-headed man began, “That girl IS human.” Taeyang looked up from the man’s forearm which he was feeding on blood from, “I know, Inseong. What’s your point?” Taeyang went back to the blood and Inseong continued, “Well, she could die down there if she isn’t allowed to eat. Then, how will she fix the damage she has caused?” It had already been over half a day since Minnie had been imprisoned in the cellar.

There was an uneasy silence in the dining hall for a while as Taeyang didn’t respond. After dropping Inseong’s arm to the side, Taeyang finished his meal and looked away with an annoyed face. Inseong looked at him expectantly, “I thought you liked humans.” Pointing toward the direction of the cellar, Taeyang whipped his head back to him, “Yes, but THAT one destroyed the roses. She didn’t even care to apologize either.”

“So… We’re letting her starve?” Inseong queried with a funny look on his face. Taeyang crossed his arms, “No… Have Zuho cook some food and bring her in here.” “Of course,” Inseong smiled as he knew Taeyang wasn’t an evil person.

…

When the food was ready, a tall man with platinum hair made his way down the hall- this man was Zuho. He acted as Taeyang’s protector even though he didn’t need one. As Zuho was officially his guard, Zuho insisted to protect Taeyang with his life.

Breaking away from his zoned-out state, Zuho didn’t understand why he had to be the one to retrieve a mere human. It wasn’t like she would be able to do any harm. He did understand why Taeyang was upset about the flowers though. The roses had been planted for Taeyang’s late mother who loved them.

Upon reaching the cellar door, Zuho listened to see if the girl was still alive. He heard faint breathing due to his sensitive hearing, and he opened the door. Without flinching, he caught a fist mid-punch. He was half-expecting her to react this way, but he would have been able to block her attack even if he hadn’t.

Growling, the girl was about to start yelling at him when he cut her off, “Dinner is served. Would you peacefully follow me to the dining area?” Minnie knew that she was hungry; she could feel her stomach starting to grumble at her. Sighing in defeat, she withdrew her fist, “Fine.”

Following the silent man through the halls, Minnie realized just how luxurious of a place she was in. The carpets were a nice shade of red with gold borders and designs throughout. Vaulted ceilings held up massive chandeliers made of crystal. Even the walls were covered with intricate details.

When they finally had reached the dining hall, Minnie knew that the place she was in had to be a castle. Before her, she gawked at the fifty foot table which didn’t even stretch across the full length of the room. At the other end of the table sat Taeyang. Wanting to be as far away from him as possible, she took a seat at the end she was at. Zuho took his place outside the door to stand guard as he always did.

Shortly after, Inseong brought in a spread of hearty soup along with rolls and a goblet of water. Minnie leaned back a little as he placed the food in front of her. She eyed him suspiciously as he grinned, “Enjoy your meal.” She suddenly wondered if she should be eating this food or trying to escape. When her stomach made a noise again, she chose the first option.

As she ate, she kept glancing over at Taeyang who didn’t have any food. She guessed that he had already eaten or that he just wasn’t hungry. He only had a drink in front of him which he occasionally would pick up to drink and a book which he was reading. He didn’t look at her at all which was probably because he was still upset with her.

When she was almost finished eating, she wanted to know what was going to happen next. Still, no one had spoken a word. She also still wondered what he had in mind for her to pay for her so-called crime.

As Minnie took in the details of the room again, Inseong appeared and refilled Taeyang’s drink. Taeyang thanked him which she was surprised at as she watched Inseong leave swiftly. Taeyang took a drink and set his book on the table. He was about to say something when he gasped and the goblet fell from his hand. The liquid splashed everywhere and stained the light green carpet.

Immediately, Minnie jumped up from her seat and rushed over to Taeyang. She would have seemed like she was trying to help him save for the fact that she was smirking wickedly. Leaning on the table for support, Taeyang glared at her through his long bangs, “What did you do?” She gave a short laugh before he fell on the ground. Looking down at his spilled drink, she scrunched her nose at the tangy smell of blood. “Disgusting,” she cringed. Once she saw that he wasn’t moving anymore, Minnie sped out the door while looking around for the nearest exit.

Meanwhile, Inseong came back to the dining hall with Zuho whom he had been talking to. “Wha-!” Inseong shrieked, alerting Zuho. They were both startled to find the state that Taeyang was in. Inseong approached him with haste as he shook him by the shoulders, “Hey! Taeyang!” When he didn’t respond, Inseong could only imagine that the worst had happened. Then, he remembered that they were vampires and shouldn’t be able to die normally.

Without warning, Taeyang took a deep breath and was suddenly standing on his feet again. Startled, Inseong looked up at him from the floor, “What happened? Are you okay?” Gritting his teeth, Taeyang focused on the doorway, “Poison.” “What? We can’t be poisoned. Not that I’ve ever seen any of us poisoned before though,” Inseong thought aloud, “Are you really-” He wasn’t able to finish as Taeyang, with inhuman speed, disappeared out the door.

Minnie hadn’t gotten far within the walls of the castle garden before she was caught by the throat. Taeyang held her in place as she struggled to be free of his hand. “What’s wrong with you?! You are the most miserable human I’ve ever met,” he yelled. “I-” Minnie couldn’t respond from the lack of air. Her vision was getting blurry, and she felt like she would die any minute.

As if appearing from thin air, Zuho was at Taeyang’s side. Zuho placed his hand on the hand which was about to strangle Minnie. “Taeyang, you can’t kill a human,” Zuho reminded him calmly, “Remember your resolve.” Letting up on the girl’s neck, Taeyang nodded slowly and shooed Zuho away.

When Zuho was gone, Taeyang held Minnie by her arms. Her eyelids fluttered erratically as she regained some of her cognitive ability. He looked her squarely in the eye as he stated, “You will pay for this crime now. Then, you will pay for the other crime later.” “Not on your life,” she spat back with a frown.

Irked beyond belief, Taeyang bit into her shoulder with incredibly sharp teeth. She winced at the pain but still didn’t seem to care about his outburst. After drinking some of her blood, he stopped and looked at her with fear in his eyes. He couldn’t believe that he had just attacked a human. She only glared back at him with apathy.

“I’m- I’m sorry,” he spoke quietly, “I shouldn’t have done that.” She almost wanted to laugh but kept a straight face, “You’re sorry? What you are is crazy! I didn’t commit a crime for trying to protect myself, and I didn’t commit a crime for picking stupid flowers which you most likely don’t even own!” Taeyang blinked once, now with a calm face, before informing her, “You’re still going to pay for your first crime.”

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing; he couldn’t have understood what she had just said. She didn’t have time to think about it anymore though because he locked eyes with her again. For some reason, she began to feel extremely tired. Fighting the fatigue, she collapsed in his arms.

As if she were no lighter than a feather, Taeyang picked Minnie up and carried her back into the castle. There were many vacant rooms for guests so he picked the closest one to his room in case she tried to escape again. When he entered the room, he carefully placed her on a bed and covered her with the comforter. She didn’t look as devious when she slept, and Taeyang shook his head for thinking about such a thing.

Taking the room’s key from the side table, he exited the room and locked the door behind him. He hated to have to take such drastic measures, but he knew she would definitely use some crafty means again to kill or escape. She also needed to pay for her crime. When she had repaired the rose bushes, he would let her leave.

With his thoughts finally in order, he put the key in his pocket and headed toward the library with some lingering guilt for what he had done earlier.

_****.**.**.**.**** _

_**Wow! This was a long chapter compared to my usual 1000 word ones. It fits though for the story pacing which is good. It got crazy in this chapter, and I'm planning to continue with the feels. As always, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and will look forward to the next ones!** _

**Research info about types of roses and maintenance:**  
https://ag.purdue.edu/hla/pubs/HO/HO-128.pdf


	3. Chapter 3

_**** _

_**“No! You can’t do this to your own son, Dongwook!” Taeyang heard his mother pleading with his father. Fading in and out of darkness, a memory of Taeyang’s father approached him with murderous intent. Taeyang felt so small and realized that he was a child again. The reality was odd, but he didn’t question it too much as he wanted to retreat from the danger before him as soon as possible.** _

_**Pointing a sharp claw at his son, Taeyang’s father proclaimed, “I will not allow a weakling like you to take the throne. The humans are monsters that will overthrow the kingdom if you rule. You already made friends with one. How foolish you are.” With tears in his eyes, the young Taeyang yelled back spitefully, “You turned Inseong into one of us! All you want is to drink every human’s blood until they’re extinct. You’re the monster!”** _

_**Dongwook’s nostrils flared in fury as he struck out at his son. Taeyang raised his arms to block in front of his face when his mother deftly shoved him aside. “Taeyang, run!” she ordered. On instinct, Taeyang tumbled to the ground and rolled into a balanced position. Meanwhile, his mother was busy executing multiple attacks directed at his father.** _

_**Through all of the present chaos, Taeyang still noticed that there was a bystander out of the corner of his vision. He was alerted to look in their direction when he heard the person gasp in shock. Without thinking, he ran to help as the human had just fallen from a ledge on the mountain they were on. He fearlessly dove off the cliff just in time to catch a small girl.** _

_**With the young girl in his arms, Taeyang ran a distance away into the forest to get them both away from danger. He found a tree which was large enough for them to hide behind. Noticing that the girl still appeared to be unconscious, he sat her down against a tree for support to check if she had been injured.** _

_**Curtaining her bangs to the side, he instantly smelled blood and examined her scalp to find a small cut which had been inflicted from hitting her head on a rock while falling. Cradling her head in his hands, he carefully kissed the wound, and it began to heal. Satisfied with his work, Taeyang smiled softly and patted the girl on the head.** _

_**Without warning, a high-pitched shriek sounded from the clearing where Taeyang's parents had been battling. Golden, flaming lights erupted into the sky and cascaded slowly down as they faded. Taeyang knew what this meant- a vampire had died by the hand of another vampire. As far as he knew, a vampire’s claws were the only things which could end their lives when piercing the heart. He hung his head in dismay.** _

_**“Oh! My baby!” Taeyang turned to see a young woman approaching them. With tears in her eyes, she ran to her daughter and held her in a loving embrace when she had reached her. “What happened?” she asked Taeyang. “She slipped from the cliff, but I was able to get to her in time,” he explained. Lost for words, the only thing the mother could say was a heartfelt, “Thank you, you sweet child. You were my daughter’s guardian angel today.” Taeyang felt slightly embarrassed at the woman’s words but managed a smile before leaving the two alone.** _

_**Without being able to feel anything, Taeyang fell to his knees at the sight he found in the clearing. His parents were a lifeless and messy scene to behold. Apparently, they had both destroyed each other. While holding her hand, Taeyang cried silently by his mother’s corpse. As a child vampire, he had not acquired any powers yet which left him with no means of defending himself or really being able to protect anyone. If he had only been stronger, he could have stopped this tragedy from happening.** _

_**The last thing he saw in his memory was a teenage Zuho standing by his side and attempting to console him.** _

Taeyang remembered that day too well even when he tried to forget. He couldn’t escape the dreams. The dreams reminded him that both of his parents were now lying in coffins because of him.

Opening his eyes to a moonlit room, Taeyang discovered that he had fallen asleep on the sofa in the library. He had been doing some night reading on a book of roses which was probably what had set off the dream.

A knock at the sturdy wooden door alerted him to the presence of Inseong who walked in shortly after. Taeyang looked at him questioningly which prompted him to speak. “I talked to Jaeyoon about coming here tonight, but he said that he’ll be here early in the morning,” Inseong stated. “Why?” Taeyang wondered aloud. Inseong shuffled in his place, “Um… Well, he said that he needed to put his plants to bed. He tucks them in with some fresh soil and a drink of water every night.” Taeyang quirked an eyebrow at the nonsense he was hearing but soon remembered that this was Jaeyoon they were talking about. Jaeyoon loved his plants dearly and treated them as his children.

“Very well,” he responded dejectedly. It didn’t really matter if Jaeyoon was there that night because the whole purpose of him visiting was to teach the criminal how to take care of plants. Said criminal was asleep now and wouldn’t be awake until tomorrow anyway. However, Taeyang liked the extra company from time to time as it could become boring in the castle.

With a sigh, Taeyang went back to reading his book in the calming darkness of the night as the moon had now been covered by stray clouds.

  
_****.**.**.**.**** _

_**So, there was a little backstory. I was going to make the chapter longer, but I think the length works for this one. Hope you are enjoying it so far!** _

_**** _


	4. Chapter 4

Crunching leaves resounded from the road as Chani continued on his search for his sister. She couldn't have gone far in the dark so he was sure to find her. As a hunter by trade, Chani's tracking skills would hopefully pay off. He had even thought of bringing the lantern which he used to see the tracks.

Chani had followed Minnie's prints until he came to a strange path. He knew that no one ever went that way, but her tracks disappeared right where the road started. Convincing himself that this wasn't a coincidence, Chani went with his gut feeling and decided to just follow the path.

Being past its rising peak, the moon was now positioned to allow the sun to emerge. Chani really wanted to hurry as it was getting cooler outside, and he was starting to feel the chill through his coat.

After he had continued on for a while, the sound of an animalistic grumbling alerted him to stop. He knew it was a bear.

Without making a sound, he stood completely still. The bear was nearby, but Chani couldn't tell how close it was. If any sudden movements were made, he could lose his head or a limb.

Chani waited a long time until the bear slowly crept by across the path. Chani really wished that the animal would hurry so he could keep going, but it seemed to go slower as soon as he thought this.

Finally, the area was safe, and Chani hurried away to keep from running into the bear again.

As one annoyance went away, another swiftly followed. Rain drops began to fall out of nowhere, and the wind speed picked up. Chani couldn't see clearly from the water that kept slapping at his eyes. He had a way to get through this though.

Huddling down under a tree, he tucked his face to his knees and held his knees tightly. He had done this many times while he was out hunting because he was just too stubborn to give up easily. Thinking of his sister again, he hoped she wasn't out in this weather.

When Chani opened his eyes, he saw the sun slightly shining through the trees. There was some rolling fog from the previous storm, and the leaves were dripping water onto his head.

Standing to his feet, Chani came to the realization that he had slept through the downpour. If Minnie was outside, she would definitely have caught a cold by now.

Suddenly, Chani sneezed. Now, he was going to get a cold. He didn't even know why he went so far as to try to look out for his older sister anyway. All he did know was that she had better have an extremely brilliant explanation for not coming home last night.

Moving further down the road, he was about to give up and turn around when he noticed a wall lined by trees. As he made his way to examine the wall, Chani saw the lively and fresh ivy which clung to it. He was no expert on plants, but he knew that the ivy would have dried up by now from the cold. As he rounded a corner, he found himself standing before a large gate and behind it sat a looming castle. Chani wondered if Minnie had really come here until he saw something lying on the ground past the gate- Minnie’s poison bag.

…

Bright sunlight streamed in through the windows and onto Minnie's face. Forcing herself to open her eyes, she simply turned over and sat up to face the dimmer side of the room. Her hair stuck up every which way and anyone would have laughed at the sight.

Glancing around her, she noticed that she had been sleeping on a large bed in a luxurious room. She almost wondered if she was dreaming when the memory of deep eyes came back to her. Mentally kicking herself, she was determined to never stare into that man’s eyes again. Somehow, she had always fallen unconscious after she looked into those cavernous depths for too long. She was even perturbed to even be thinking about him again.

She looked down at her clothes to find them still filthy from when she was in the cellar. Her favorite billowy, white blouse was ruined with holes in the shoulder, and she felt extremely dirty. She remembered what had happened last night and shuddered at the thought of someone drinking blood.

Then, she felt her shoulder with her opposite hand and didn’t have any pain. She pulled the collar down enough to see and was amazed that there was no wound. That man must have been what she had heard about in stories- a vampire. If he was a vampire, then vampires were indeed real and would also explain why the poison didn’t work. With this newfound knowledge, Minnie knew that she wouldn’t be able to escape her punishment.

Looking down at the bed again, she noticed a lovely midnight-blue dress made of crushed velvet sitting atop the comforter. A little note sat near the dress and read,

‘There is a bathtub in the room connecting to your room if you wish to freshen up.

Please accept my deepest apologies for the state of your attire. 

Your host, Taeyang.’

Rolling her eyes, Minnie carelessly tossed the note aside and picked up the dress to gaze at it endearingly. The fabric seemed to be quite expensive, the stitching neat, and the design cute. “Well, he has taste in clothes at least,” she commented.

Standing to her feet, Minnie trudged off toward an open door to find an elegant bathroom beyond. In the center of the room, a porcelain clawfoot tub awaited her with clean water which had already been drawn for a bath. A towel and soaps sat next to the tub on a fancy little table. Minnie was in awe of the fanciness as she had never seen such things in her whole life as a farmer’s daughter.

As she settled into the tub, she told herself that she must try to be nice until she could finish the dull chore of atoning for her crime.

…

About an hour later, Minnie was fully dressed and ready to start the day and carry out her repayment. She pressed her ear to her room’s solid door but didn’t hear a sound. She tried the handle to find it locked, “Hello? Is anyone there?” The door opened to reveal Zuho, “Follow me, please.” He turned around and began down the hall. She quickly caught up to him while feeling very much like a child following their parent.

When they reached the dining hall, Taeyang was sitting in a regal manner while reading another book. Minnie thought he was posing for a painting when she remembered what he had done last night. With a frown, she snapped herself out of staring and looked toward the corner of the room.

Taeyang pretended to just notice that Minnie was present. “Ah, you’re awake,” he said plainly. “Obviously,” she huffed with arms crossed, “So, I’m ready to start ‘paying for my crimes’ as you call it.” As he looked up from his book, Taeyang had a strange bubbly feeling from the sight of Minnie who was unknowingly wearing one of his mother’s dresses. When she tilted her head at him, he coughed in embarrassment and regained his composure.

“Well? What do I need to do?” she asked in an acidic tone. “Eat breakfast, of course,” he faintly smirked. She sat down slowly while holding her shoulder. “Really? Have you eaten already?” she almost sounded as if she cared about his health, but, in reality, she was worried about herself. Knowing what she truly meant, he made a small laugh, “Yes, I have. There’s no need to worry. I won’t bite you again.” She made an attempt at a half-hearted laugh as her breakfast was placed before her.

Wanting to leave this castle as soon as humanly possible, Minnie scarfed down all of the food she was served. She cleaned her mouth off with a dinner cloth and jumped up from her seat. “I’m ready. Now, what do I have to do?” she asked again.

For a moment, Taeyang was at a loss for words as he pondered if this girl had ever been fed properly before. Breaking away from his thoughts, Taeyang straightened in his chair and signalled, with his hand, to Inseong who went off somewhere.

"I have someone visiting today who will help you learn how to care for plants," Taeyang explained, "He'll be here soon. When he's gone, I'll expect you to have the roses blooming again." Minnie couldn't believe what she was hearing, but she didn't have time to process anything when a commotion could be heard outside.

Moving to the window, she was shocked to see her brother arguing with Zuho. Taeyang stood by her to witness the scene. "That's my brother, Chani; he's a hunter. I have to talk to him, or he won't go home," she explained. Taeyang closed his eyes while trying to hold back his temper, "Fine. Just hurry up." Rushing out the door, Minnie felt annoyed that Chani was slowing down her process of leaving. 

"I'm not a thief! I'm trying to find my sister…" Chani noticed Minnie approaching. "What are you doing?" she asked while almost laughing aloud at the sight of Chani's ear being held by Zuho. Their height difference had a wide gap which made Chani look so small.

Chani got out of Zuho's grip and straightened his damp coat. Before looking at her, Chani glared at Zuho who seemed unperturbed at him. "You didn't come home last night," he accused with flushed cheeks, "I was naturally the only one who could look for you."

"Chani, the person who lives here wants me to fix his rose bush," she attempted to explain. Chani scoffed, "Oh, and you weren't the one who broke it? I told you that you were going to get into trouble, but you never listen." Minnie smiled, "It's fine. I'm safe, and I'll be home soon. Tell mother and father not to worry."

Even from the gate, Chani could see Taeyang watching them from the window; Chani shot a deadly glare at him. He didn't want to leave without Minnie, but if she thought she was fine, he would go home. "Okay, but if you're not back soon, I'm going to bring the whole village with me to save you," he tried to bargain.

"I'll write you letters because who knows how long it will take to heal the rose bush," she sternly countered. "Fine," Chani agreed before turning back. It wasn't like he had just braved certain death to find her or anything.

When he was out of earshot, he started coughing and sneezing. He would have to get some medicine for his cold when he arrived home.

Minnie arrived back in the dining room and was surprised to find Jaeyoon speaking with Taeyang. They noticed her, and Jaeyoon was also astounded to see her, "Minnie, what are you doing here?"

"You two know each other?" Taeyang asked with a confused look. "Yes, Minnie visits me for advice on plants," Jaeyoon smiled. Minnie felt more at ease now that someone she knew was present.

"Well, should we get started?" Jaeyoon asked her. Due to Minnie's questioning look, Taeyang explained, "Jaeyoon is going to instruct you on how to take care of rose bushes."

"Okay, let's begin," Minnie swiftly took Jaeyoon by the arm, and they made their way outside. Taeyang was left wondering how they could have met.

****.**.**.**.****

**Chapter 4 is here! Poor Chani, he walked all the way there for nothing. 😆**


	5. Chapter 5

"You're a vampire too?" Minnie asked Jaeyoon. At this point, she wasn't even that surprised. "Yep," Jaeyoon happily smiled. "Wow, what a thing to keep a secret from your friend," Minnie pretended to be upset while crossing her arms. "Well, I didn’t know that you were going to use poisons to harm people," Jaeyoon countered back.

Minnie quickly changed the subject, "So, how do I get these roses to grow again? Isn't it too late in the year for this?" Jaeyoon's eyes lit up, "Of course, but the castle is special and keeps plants alive which haven't been tampered with." "Okay… It's magical then?" Minnie wasn’t sure that she believed this. Jaeyoon had to think about it for a second, "Hm, I guess you could think of it like that. By the way, these roses were planted for Taeyang's mother. That's why he's so upset about them."

As she didn't know Taeyang's mother, Minnie didn't really care. However, she felt a slight bit of guilt for ruining something that had sentimental value. Maybe she was changing because Taeyang was being nicer to her now.

"The petals are almost black," Minnie commented while lifting a bloom up a little to get a better look at it. "Yes, but they're actually just a very dark red. Their name is 'Black Bacarra' which is a hybrid tea rose," Jaeyoon explained.

Minnie was fascinated to know about the plant, but she remembered that she didn't have her poison pouch which still held some of the rose petals. She looked around and easily found the pouch lying in plain sight on the cobblestone path. Then, she retrieved her precious ingredients.

It took some time for Jaeyoon to explain the different things she would have to do. Minnie was perplexed from so much information but was confident that she could fix the plants. Jaeyoon told her that it would take about a month before the roses could bloom.

When he was finished with his instruction, he attempted to cheer her up. "You'll do fine. Time will pass by quickly, and you'll be back to making poisons," he said cheerily.

She smiled at his strange words, "Thank you." He nodded and left toward his home in the forest. After Minnie waved to him, she suddenly felt alone because Jaeyoon was her only friend. However, she knew she had to finish her task alone.

With a determined mindset, she started her first day of work and hoped time would fly by for her.

…

One early afternoon, Minnie was almost finished working on the rose bushes. She swiftly did the last things she had to do and dusted off her hands.

She wasn't sure if she was allowed to, but she really wanted to work on her perfume poison. She had been working on the rose bushes for three weeks and hadn't been able to do what she loved as she was usually too exhausted at the end of the day.

While trying to go unnoticed, Minnie went back into the castle halls and snuck toward the kitchen. No one seemed to be around which allowed her time to put a pot of water on the stove to boil. While the water was boiling, she found, in a cupboard, a metal funnel and a glass bottle for cooking oil. The glass was clean and would prove useful as a vessel for her poison when it was finished.

Exhausted from her workday, Minnie poured herself a glass of water from a pitcher which Inseong kept on the countertop. As Minnie drank a bit of water, Inseong walked in with a quizzical face.

"I've done all I can for today and just came in here for some water," she calmly explained. Inseong smiled, "Okay. Don't work too hard." With that said, he left. She was relieved that he hadn't noticed the pot of water which was now at a full rolling boil.

When it seemed like the way was clear, Minnie took her supplies and the pot of water to her room. She couldn't lock the door which forced her to work on her experiment in the bathroom. It proved useful to work where she was as she spilled some scalding water on the floor in her hurry.

Taking the rose petals from her ingredient bag, Minnie sprinkled them into the pot. While the petals soaked, she started crafting a scentless poison to add to the perfume when it was ready. It would take until the next day for her creation to be finished, but Minnie felt so much joy in doing what she loved.

By the time Minnie had completed the poison, it was nightfall. She had added the poison to the bottle she had obtained from the kitchen. Now, she lay on her side on the comfortable bed and simply stared out the window into the night.

As she began to drift to sleep, she heard a voice echoing from outside. Wondering who it could be, she moved over to the window. Peering through the glass, she couldn't see anyone, but the sound seemed to be projecting from the garden.

Quickly draping a small blanket over her shoulders, Minnie made her way through the castle and into the garden. Making sure to not make a sound, she slowly approached one of the rose bushes. She craned her neck to see around the plant only to behold Taeyang singing gracefully into the night. Had Minnie not known his true identity she could have mistaken him for a male siren without wings.

As the song seemed to be in another language, the words of the song didn't make sense to Minnie. However, she thought the song was very entrancing so much so that she almost didn't notice when all of the roses began blooming unnaturally. It was then that Minnie remembered what Jaeyoon had told her about the place being magical.

Another strange thing happened next that Minnie really wasn't expecting. Tears had formed and were now streaming down her face to drip onto the ground. Her heart felt different as she now had mixed feelings of happiness and melancholy. As to what had caused this emotional response, she really couldn't say.

Trying to shake the feeling, she moved closer to where Taeyang was while still trying to keep out of sight. Taeyang finally ended his song and fixed his eyes on some roses nearby. He smiled lovingly at them as he remembered his mother.

Without thinking, Minnie breathed out a word for Taeyang's song, "Beautiful." Taeyang was now made aware of her presence and turned in surprise to see her. She wasn't well hidden as he could see in the dark. This also allowed him to see the tears on her face. He rushed over to her. "What’s wrong?" he asked with concern, "Are you hurt?" She didn't know what to say and swiftly wiped away her tears.

_****.**.**.**.**** _

_**I finally finished chapter 5 after 3 weeks! I'm sorry for the slow update. Hopefully, I can get the next one written faster.**_ 😆

Research:

[Rosa ‘Black Bacarra’ (Hybrid Tea Rose)](https://www.gardenia.net/plant/rosa-black-baccara#:~:text=Rosa%20'Black%20Baccara'%20is%20a,popular%20choice%20for%20cutting%20gardens)


	6. Chapter 6

“I’m okay,” Minnie blinked quickly and squinted to get the rest of the tears to leave her eyes. Taeyang still looked like he was expecting an explanation even after her answer. She simply put her hand under a rose on one of the bushes and said, “The roses bloomed from your song. I thought it was beautiful. So, I felt a strange emotion for some reason.” Taeyang lowered his eyebrows suspiciously, “I don’t feel like that’s the whole story.” Minnie frowned at him in confusion when he suddenly broke out into laughter. She didn’t see what was so funny and focused her attention elsewhere until he surprised her.

“Jaeyoon told me that you like to read books about plants,” he began. She acknowledged him again with a nod and he continued, “I have some which you can read in the library.” “Why? What do you care about it?” she really couldn’t make sense of him now. “I… Just feel bad that you are working on the roses all the time without anything else to do.” “Oh...” Minnie thought this was an odd change of his character. She also realized that maybe he really was just a good guy at heart despite her first impression of him.

“I’ll show you where the library is,” Taeyang said as he strode back toward the castle entrance. Minnie followed behind him awkwardly. She still couldn’t get used to his behavior.

After entering the castle, they took a different corridor than Minnie had been in before. They now stood before large burgundy double doors which were accentuated with a pointed arch at the top of the frame. Taeyang took hold of each door handle and opened the doors to reveal a view of sprawling bookcases lined with books of many colors and sizes.

As Minnie gawked in amazement at the sight before her, Taeyang noted, “I usually read without the lights, but I lit the candles for you earlier as I know that you can’t see in the dark.” Touched by his thoughtfulness, Minnie nodded, “Thank you.”

Taeyang told her about the content of most of the books because he had read many of them. Minnie was very grateful for his gesture of kindness in ensuring that the rest of her stay was comfortable. She could almost get used to it.

…

Every day, after working in the garden, Minnie would head back to the comforting space of the library. She wanted to develop a new poison plan, and she could find many answers from the collection of knowledge. Taeyang had slowly begun to join her in her research as he wanted to hear about what she was interested in. Minnie explained a lot in detail on the topics which Taeyang was surprisingly able to understand quickly and ask more questions about.

In just a few days, they had already gone through over a hundred various plant books. Minnie was already getting a clear picture of what she wanted to make next, but she didn't want to rush as she enjoyed listening to Taeyang singing in the garden every night. Somehow, they had both tamed each other's tempers and formed a growing bond of friendship.

One night in the library, Minnie fell asleep to the thought of how odd it was for her to have made such a strange friend. What was even more curious was that she was also quite strange herself- she knew it. Still, it was comforting. Then, her eyes closed and sleep fell upon her.

…

**_Minnie opened her eyes to a pleasant sunny day. She was walking along a path when she looked over to a field to see an incomprehensible sight to her. A man and a woman were fighting at lightning speeds while a boy watched helplessly but looked as though he wanted to stop the two._ **

**_Without paying attention to her footing, Minnie felt the small rocks beneath her slide and found herself tumbling off a cliff. She couldn't predict what would happen when she was caught in someone's arms in no time. Before she could make out a face, everything went dark._ **

**_She opened her eyes again. This time, her mother was on a stage, but her mother could sing- it was odd. Minnie almost questioned where she was when she remembered that the woman on the stage was her real mother. Memories came hammering back into Minnie’s head all at once which made it hard to decipher them all._ **

**_Before she could stop what was about to happen, the stage burst into flames, and the burning curtain fell onto her screaming mother. In tragic horror, Minnie let out a heart-wrenching scream while being held back by her father. There was nothing anyone could do as the crowd fled to safety. In tears, Minnie was drug away from the fire._ **

…

"Minnie." She woke to grasp Taeyang's hand which was on her face. She realized that the tears from her dream had somehow reached her eyes. Without letting her turn away, Taeyang carefully and meticulously wiped the tears from her face with his finger. "It's okay, Minnie," he whispered gently. Somehow, he now had a fond attachment to this girl.

"What happened? A nightmare?" he asked. She nodded, "Yes, my real mother died. I… didn't even remember her until just now. She died…" Taeyang felt bad for her and could understand how she must be feeling as he had also lost his mother.

"I'm sorry, Minnie," he patted her head. "There was more too," she continued with a puzzled tilt to her head. Taeyang waited for her to finish. "I was walking by a field. Two people were attacking each other. It was a man and a woman. They moved so fast. I've never seen anything like it. I fell from the mountain path not long after, but I didn't die. Someone saved me," she looked at Taeyang. She almost expected an answer from him, but she knew he couldn't know what in the world she was talking about.

Speaking anyway, Taeyang said, "It sounds like a frightening nightmare. You weren't harmed though. You're right here with me."

He paused when he caught her staring at him. "What is it?" he questioned. After seeming as if she was hypnotized, Minnie finally answered with a lull in her tone, "I think I like you a lot. You always know what to say in these situations." Taeyang felt a happiness in his heart from her words. Apparently, they had both found a love for the other despite their constant bickering. “I like you too,” Taeyang responded sincerely. While staring back into Minnie’s dark irises, Taeyang placed his hands delicately around her face and leaned in to touch her lips with his. Their eyes closed as they continued to exchange kisses. 

They were so intent on showing each other their feelings, that Minnie slowly ended up lying on the couch with her head resting on the armrest. Taeyang was hovering above her while they kissed, and Minnie was pulling him closer. Suddenly, Taeyang realized how scandalous their positions were and that Inseong or Zuho could walk in on them at any minute. So, while trying not to be rude, Taeyang gradually pulled away from Minnie. She didn’t seem to mind too much and opted to snuggle into his shoulder while hugging his arm. Taeyang caressed some strands of her hair before giving her one more soft peck.

In the silence, the two fell asleep sitting together with their hands intertwined.

…

Near the castle graveyard that same night, no one heard the eerie scraping of sharp nails against stone.

_****.**.**.**.**** _

_**Omo omo omo! So mushy! I was cringing by just thinking about writing this! ( >_<) By the way, did you notice that totally unintentional "good guy" reference? 😆** _

_**I felt that the Goblin kdrama OST, “Round and Round” by Heize, was perfect on repeat for the mood of this chapter. It’s very magical and romantic. The airy singing reminds me of Taeyang’s singing style too which he is often teased for by SF9.** _

This is what the library door looks like. I love gothic arches. :  
[https://media.istockphoto.com/photos/gothic-arch-style-set-of-red-doors-picture-id116997568?k=6&m=116997568&s=170667a&w=0&h=2jgn1cecgvvgOszuBoqhB6qTWWQYRlH6A3dipMBHg4](https://media.istockphoto.com/photos/gothic-arch-style-set-of-red-doors-picture-id116997568?k=6&m=116997568&s=170667a&w=0&h=2jgn1cecgvvgOszuBoqhB6qTWWQYRlH6A3dipMBHg4)


	7. Chapter 7

It was early morning when Chani woke his mother with his coughing. Rushing to his side, his mother checked his forehead. “You’re not doing any better,” she said through his fits of coughs and wheezes. Retrieving another pillow, she helped prop his head on it so Chani could sit up higher and be able to breathe. His lungs were hurting so badly that he knew he had pneumonia; he had suffered from it before as a child.

As the day went on, Chani’s mother felt that he wasn’t going to recover. It was getting harder for him to breathe by the hour. To prepare for the worst, Chani’s mother wrote a letter to Minnie which asked her to come home soon due to Chani’s condition. Their mother spared no time to send the message and found a rider to deliver it immediately.

…

Sighing, Minnie stood from off the ground as she was almost finished with the bushes for the day. It was the last day she would have to atone for her crime, and she was wondering why Chani had stopped writing back. Breaking her from her thought, the sound of galloping horse hooves alerted her toward the garden entrance. As if someone had read her thoughts, the rider approached her with a letter addressed to her. She thanked the rider who left just as quickly as he was there.

A bad feeling crept its way into her mind as she began to open and retrieve the contents of the envelope. Scanning over the words, she felt sudden regret. Within a moment, Taeyang was behind her with a hand on her shoulder. “What is it?” he asked quietly. She turned to look at him with a sullen expression, “It’s my brother, Chani. He’s- He’ll probably die from pneumonia, and it’s all my fault.”

Crestfallen, her eyes darted to the dirt beneath her feet. She willed herself not to cry because she hated showing weakness. However, Taeyang could sense how she was feeling and gently hugged her. Then, he placed his chin on her head, “He’s going to be okay.” “No, he won’t. I have to go-” she began. “Wait until the morning. You’ve just finished work, and you need rest first or something could happen to you on the way back,” he proposed.

As tears began to form at the corners of her eyes, Minnie nodded before burying her face in his shirt to cry silent tears. Taeyang patted her back reassuringly and helped her get back to her room.

…

Opening her eyes to a dull pain forming in her head, Minnie stared up at the elaborate design of the ceiling in her line of sight. She felt exhausted from crying last night and knew that it would be hard for her to travel with too much haste in her condition. However, she willed herself to sit up anyway.

Then, she realized her right hand was being held by someone else’s. She immediately noticed Taeyang kneeling by her side at the edge of the bed with his head resting by their hands. After wondering why he was in her room, she came to the conclusion that he must have fallen asleep while being worried about her. Even still, Taeyang looked very peaceful right now. Trying not to wake him up, she pet his hair with the tips of her fingers.

In an instant, Taeyang’s eyes opened with no signs of fatigue at all. He sat up to face her properly. "Are you sure you're going to be alright?" he asked with concern. Minnie grimaced as she moved closer to him, "Yes."

Without another word, Taeyang swept her up in his arms. As they locked eyes, Minnie noticed how the light of the sun made Taeyang’s dark eyes look red. She would have liked to stay longer just to continue admiring the shine of his eyes, but she needed to get ready to leave soon.

Fighting against her own thoughts, she gave him a chaste kiss which he returned gladly. When they broke apart, Minnie noticed that the pain in her head was now nonexistent. “Is this what vampire kisses do?” she asked teasingly. “No, it’s just me,” he stated. She hit his arm playfully as if she didn’t believe him. “It’s true,” he explained, “Healing is one of my abilities.” She looked into his eyes again, “I know.” Then, they embraced each other for a short while before he left her to get ready.

Minnie packed a few things she was given and remembered to bring along her poison perfume as well. Taking one last long look at her room, Minnie went into the hall with her things. As she started on her way toward the castle entrance, Inseong stopped her and gave her some breakfast to eat on the way back.

As she came into contact with the sunlight, Minnie had to squint to see where she was going. Standing by one of the rose bushes, Taeyang stood waiting for her. As she approached, he smiled and acknowledged her presence.

"The roses are healthy again," he praised, "You could be a gardener yet." Minnie rolled her eyes and broke into a smile. Taeyang smiled at his joke and spotted the poison in her hands, “Don’t kill anyone with that.” Minnie hugged the bottle with dangerous contents, “I make no promises.”

As the two made eye contact, Taeyang gave her a concerned look, “Be careful.” Minnie didn’t answer for a moment as she didn’t want to have to leave. When Taeyang still expected a reply, she finally said, “I’ll try.”

Zuho appeared from the castle as well because they had decided that he would help escort Minnie home. Just before Zuho had approached them, Taeyang and Minnie hugged each other again. He decided to discreetly wait for them to say their goodbyes without getting in the way.

Without alerting anyone, a powerful force had just finished forming in the crypt nearby. In one fell blast, an enormous coffin lid flew across the chamber of the crypt. Within seconds, a tall man with dark hair emerged and collected the remaining energy from the area around him. His fancy clothes were tattered, but he seemed to pay them no mind as he sensed something more intriguing which he wanted to investigate.

“Come back when you’re ready,” Taeyang told Minnie before pulling her into a soft hug. Right after this happened, the stern voice of a man was heard shouting, “Taeyang!”

Looking up in terror, Taeyang was faced with seeing none other than his father. Minnie could see a resemblance in their features, but she could also tell that they were not on good terms based on Taeyang’s reaction. His father’s state of clothing made him appear even more menacing as well.

“How did you- You were dead,” Taeyang was confused. Grinning wickedly, his father glared at him, “I guess I didn’t die as you hoped? Maybe, if you had stayed to watch long enough, you would have seen that my heart wasn’t damaged.” A pant of guilt hit Taeyang as he realized his father’s words were true.

“Anyway, I see that you still sympathize with the humans. They’re mere peasants. WE are royalty,” Taeyang’s father continued. Zuho, who had sped to Taeyang and Minnie’s aid, scoffed while rolling his eyes. This further enraged the evil king, and he charged toward the three with fury in his eyes.

Within seconds, Taeyang had taken Minnie’s bottle of poison from her hands and gave it to Zuho. Taeyang jumped away with Minnie from where they had been standing. Zuho knew what he had to do and tossed the dangerous substance at Taeyang’s father. When the glass broke, the king was immediately affected by a violet cloud of poison. Falling to the ground, he appeared to have been defeated, but they knew all too well that it wouldn’t last.

“I’ll go with you. We need to get you home safely,” Taeyang explained to Minnie. She nodded in a daze as she was in slight shock from when Taeyang had jumped with her earlier. He turned to Zuho, “You know what to do.” “Yeah,” Zuho started toward Taeyang’s father.

Without another word, Taeyang carried Minnie on his back as he proceeded to run as fast as he could down the dirt road. He hoped they could get far enough away that his father wouldn’t be able to track them, but he knew his father wouldn’t stop looking for them.


End file.
